Arteta tells Max Dowman to earn Arsenal opportunities this season
Max Dowman is set to receive opportunities with Arsenal this season, but Mikel Arteta has made clear that the 16-year-old must compete for those minutes as the Premier League champions prepare to visit Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Tuesday.
Arsenal travel to Portman Road seeking a fifth win in five matches at the start of the new campaign. They reached last season’s final before losing to Manchester City at Wembley, and face another all-Premier League test in Suffolk during a demanding run of away fixtures.
Dowman waiting for senior opportunity
Dowman has been named among the substitutes four times this term without yet entering a senior match. His latest unused-bench appearance came in last Wednesday’s victory at Napoli, while he has continued to play for Arsenal’s under-21 side, including their 4-1 defeat against Chelsea at the weekend.
The midfielder already has significant first-team landmarks behind him. Last season, he became the youngest player to start a Premier League match when selected against Crystal Palace, before scoring his first professional goal during a striking substitute appearance against Everton.
Arteta cannot promise that Dowman will start against Ipswich, particularly given the depth available to him. Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres were all substitutes when Arsenal won 2-0 at Sunderland on Saturday.
Speaking about the teenager’s prospects, Arteta pointed to the Premier League’s 20-player matchday squad restriction and said he would have liked to include Dowman at Sunderland.
“Max will get his opportunity and his minutes,” Arteta said. “Like every player, he has to earn them. We know the quality we have in the squad, and we need to support him and make sure his development continues.”
Arsenal’s recent schedule
- Arsenal came through a narrow away win against Napoli last Wednesday.
- They then faced London rivals Chelsea in another tight contest.
- Bukayo Saka scored late to secure Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Sunderland.
- The Ipswich tie will be Arsenal’s third successive match away from home.
Saka said the group had managed a heavy schedule well, with extensive travelling adding to the demands of the week.
“It has been a huge week,” Saka said. “There has been plenty of travel, and people may not see everything that goes on away from the pitch. I am really pleased with how we have dealt with it. Credit goes to the players and staff, but we have to carry on because the schedule does not stop.”
Arteta expects full commitment
The League Cup may sit behind Arsenal’s title defence and their pursuit of a first Champions League crown in terms of the club’s wider ambitions, but Arteta expects his players to treat Tuesday’s tie seriously.
The 44-year-old said the immediate fixture was the priority and believes his squad will want to play, win, improve and assess the Sunderland performance before taking on Ipswich.
